Container for greeting cards



Oct. 24, 1950 G. w. MACK CONTAINER RoR GRERTING cARDs 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 20. 1945 Oct. 24, 1950 G. w. MACK 2,526,887

CONTAINER FOR GREETING CARDS Filed Jan. 20, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j J2 6 J9 f J6 QQ ff IN V EN TOR.

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Patented oct. 24, 195o UNITED4 STATES PATENT OFFICE e J 2,526,887 'i f ooN'rAINER Fon GREETING CARDS George William Mack, Waterloo, Iowa Application JanuaryV zo, 1945, seriaiNn. 573,675 1 claim. (o1. 3172-311) This inven-tion relates to containers, and more particularly to containers especially suitable for use as a le for greeting cards and the like. By way of example, and not by limitation, the container embodying the present invention is especially suitable for personal or individual use and is adapted to contain a plurality of different groups or types of greeting cards for various uses or purposes. f

The container embodying the present invention comprises a pair of open ended box structures dimensioned and arranged so as to permit telescoping, open end into open end, one within the other, and the open end of the outer box being provided with a hinged closure member for fully enclosing the inner box'within the outer box.

-One of the objectsA of this invention is to provide a'novel greeting card container which is of light weight, simple and durable construction and which is capable of `being economically manufactured.

Another object is to provide an improved container of the character indicated which is ofv compact form adapted for convenient use,v and which ris constructed and arranged so as to keep the cards within the container free from dust and possible soiling or damage.

A further object is to provide an improved container of the character indicated wherein the inner box is provided with a suitable pocket on the exterior of the closed end thereof for accommodating postage stamps, labels, etc.

Still another object is to provide in a container of the character indicated, a novel arrangement of index panels disposed within the inner box structure so as to permit conveniently selecting the contents fromv the inner box while said box is disposed in either of the two preferred supported positions. 1

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following `description taken in connection with the following drawings in which: n v

Figure l is a perspective view of the container embodying the present"nvention shown in closed relation.

Figure 2`is a VView similar to Figure 1 but showing the closure member in'open lposition for permitting withdrawal of the inner box structure. Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through the container taken substantially as indicated at line 3 3 on Figure 1. f

Figure 4 is -a longitudinal sectional view through the container taken substantially as indicated at line 4-4 on Figure 1.

Vwithin the outer box structure. structures are preferably formed of cardboard,`

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the inner box structure shown supported on the closed end thereof with the index panels thereof in a position for conveniently selecting the contents from the box structure, y

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the inner boX structure supported on its bottom end with the `index panels reversed end for end for conveniently selecting the contents from the inner box structure in another manner.

YFigure 7 is a side elevational view of a containerv of slightly modied construction wherein the outer box structure has Sits closure member adapted to be connected by a Zipper typevof fastener to the bodyeof said outer box structure.

The container embodying the present invention includes a generally-rectangular outer box structure as indicated` at A, and an inner box structure of generally rectangular form as indicated at B, the latter being dimensioned and arranged so as to be telescoped relatively snugly The two vbox paper board or other suitable material, so asy to obtain a relatively light weight, compact construction which iscapable of being economically manufactured.

The outer box structure comprises a bottom wall lo, a top wall il, side walls I2 and an end wall I4 rigidly connected together in a manner well understood in theV art. The forward end of the outer box structure is open, as clearly seen in the drawings and said opening as dened by the free edges of the top wall ll and side walls l2, lie substantially entirely in a plane oblique to vertical. I prefer that the free edges ofthe sides l l which extend at a bias, terminate at their forward edges a short distance above the'bottom wall Ias seen in the drawings.

Hingedly connected,v as indicated at l5, to the forward free edge of the top wall l I of the outer box structure is a. closure member i6, which is formed of material similar to the body of the box structures. Said closure member includes a main, or front section I3 connected to the forward edge oi a' top section le, and the opposite edge being hinged to the top l I of the box structure body. The front section I8 and top section i9 are rigidly connected together by triangular shaped side sections 2B. The closure memberis so formed that in closed position it completesthe general form of the box structure A,'as may be clearly seenV infFigure l of the drawings, In' open position the closure member is folded upwardly and back so that the top section IS rests upon the top II of the box structure A, as clearly seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, at which time access may be had to the inner box structure B.

The inner box structure B, comprises a bottom wall 22, a top wall 23, side walls 24 and an end wall 25, all rigidly connected together. The other end of the inner box structure is open and the top wall 23 thereof, together with the side Walls 24, are preferably dimensioned so that the marginal edges of the bottom, top and side walls dene an opening disposed in a plane oblique to vertical as may be clearly seen in Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings. v

As may be clearly seen in the drawings, the inner box structure B, is telescoped into the outer box structure A, open end rst, so that its closed end 25 is disposed in close proximity to the front section I8 of the closure member, when the latter is in closed position.

The closure member I6 is adapted to be securelly connected in closed position and for this purpose I provide a pair of cooperating snap button fastener elements 30 and 3l, mounted respectively on the inner surface of the front section of the closure member I8, and the end wall 25 of Vthe inner box structure. To facilitate opening of the closure member and disengaging the fast- 'ener elements 30 and 3I, I providea pull tab 32 on the outer surface of the front section I8 of the closure member which preferably is attached to said member by the fastening element 3i) when mounted in place on'said front section I8, On the outerf surface of the closed end 25 of the inner box structure, I also provide a pull tab 35 so as `to permit conveniently withdrawing the inner box structure B from the outer box structure A, when the closure member I6 vhas been released Vby disengagement of the fastening element 30 'from the element 3| and moved to an open position, as seen in Figure 2 of the drawings.

Mounted on the outer surface of the end wall "25`offthe' inner box structure is a pocket 40, in the form of an envelope, having a flap 4I which Ais adapted to be detachably connected to the body 'of the envelope by a snap fastener, as indicated 'at 42. The pocket is preferably dimensioned and arranged for accommodating postage stamps, labels and the like so as to make it convenient to complete the task of dispatching the greeting card after a proper card has been selected from the inner box structure as will be presently described.

The inner box structure B, is adapted to contain a plurality of index panels 50 which, as

herein shown are of the same general dimensions.

These panels are each provided with suitable index designations applied to the marginal ends thereof to constitute indexes for groupings and segregation of various types of greeting cards such as represented at C in Figure 4. As seen in the drawings the designation on the top panel is Birthday-General, and is applied adjacent a pair of opposite marginal portions of the panel, and arranged so that both designations on the same panel may be readable from the same direction. The purpose of the designations appearing on the panels in such relation is to permit convenient use of the inner box structure in selecting a proper greeting card when the inner box structure is disposed in either of two positions. When it is preferred that the inner box structure be supported on its end wall 25, as seen in Figure 5 of the drawings, the index panels 4 are arranged as seen in Figure 5. For certain individual uses, it may be preferred that the inner box structure be supported on its bottom wall 22 as clearly seen in Figure 6 of the drawings and for such use the saine set of index panels may be utilized, merely reversing them end for end within the inner box structure.

In Figure '7 of the drawings I have shown a slightly modified form of outer box structure, and more particularly a modified form of fastening means for the closure member thereof. As seen in Figure 7 of the drawings the body of the outer box structure which is indicated generally at D, has its forward or open end disposed in a plane oblique to vertical, and the closure member indicated at E, is formed and hinged to the top of the box structure D in a manner as above described. The free edges of the sides and bottom of the outer box structure and the corresponding edges of the closure member are provided with a Zipper type of fastening means, adapted to be operated by a slide element as indicated at F, for detachably locking the closure member E in closed relation to the body of the outer box structure D in a manner well understood in the art.

Although I have herein shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention, manifestly it is capable of modication and rearrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. I do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting this invention to the precise embodiments herein disclosed except as I may be so limited in the appended claim.

A container of the character described comprising an'outer box structure having rigidly connected top, bottom and side walls and an end wall, the other end of the box being open, said open end as dened by the free edges of the top wall and side walls lying substantially entirely in a plane oblique to vertical, a closure member for said openend hingedly connected to the adjacent end of the'top wall and including a main front section, a connected top section adapted to constitute an extension of the top wall of the box, and side sections connecting said front section and top section to form a complete closure for said openend, an inner box structui'e having rigidly connected top, bottom and side walls and an end wall, the other end being open to afford access to the interior of the inner box, said inner box structure beingdimensioned for removably mounting, telescopically, open end first, in said outer box structure through the opening at the closure end thereof, and cooperating means on said closure member and said end wall of the inner box structure for releasably maintaining the closure memberY in closed relation.

GEORGE WILLIAM MACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file rof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Miller ,Aug. 13, 1929 

